Endorsements: Vote No on the proposed “lockbox” amendment

The so-called road tax “lockbox” amendment is the first item on the ballot for voters across the state this year. The goal of the proposed amendment is to stop the use of state and local governing bodies from using transportation revenues for non-transportation projects.

While this paper overwhelmingly supports expansive infrastructure spending both in the northern Illinois area and across the state, this amendment as proposed simply would not sustain the best interests of the citizens of Illinois. Yes, more for transportation projects is routinely cut and diverted to other items in the state’s budget, however, that is done at the discretion of the representatives the people have sent to Springfield to do that very job in the first place.

This is a Band-Aid on the broken arm of Illinois’ finances, and is a self-serving bipartisan proposal out of a legislature that has been woefully inept for far too long. Sure, if Illinois was a state with its financial house in order, this could very well be a good proposal. But Illinois isn’t, and this proposal is not.